Melting Her Heart
by AnnoyingEachOtherSince2007
Summary: She was the last person Gale Hawthorne expected to see. But that didn't mean he didn't need her, or that she didn't need him. Can they put their differences aside when the freedom of Panem is at stake? And when a new foe rises will the dark shadows of the past destroy Johanna's one true chance of happiness? Gale/Johanna, Katniss/Peeta First Story written, Please, Please Review!
1. Prologue

This fic is written by two people who will be refered to as 'C' and 'A'

Prologue written by C

The train flew over the tracks in one fluid endless motion. Gale Hawthorne sat quietly in the near empty passenger car. Its plush velvet covered seats and glistening steel arm rests seemed so extravagant and unused. Even after the Republic of Panem had established an open railway many of the people from the districts were still hesitant to use it. Gale wasn't. The freedoms that the people now experienced seemed to almost overwhelm Panem. This freedom was what Gale had always dreamed of. Now he was living it as he stared out the window on a train that would take him to where he wanted to be. The fiery red sun was setting over district 5 as the train made its way to its next stop.

Gale clutched a letter in his hand. It had a simple message and contained only a few sentences. This letter meant the world to him. It had been a year, a long year, but Katniss finally wanted to see him. So he made his way to the remains of district 12. Back to the home that he had not seen in over a year. Gale's gray eyes focused on the scenery flying by his window. He thought of Katniss and the past year away from district 12. He had not expected her letter, her invitation to come home."How had she changed in a year? How would she react to hiow he had changed?" He thought restlessly. "I guess I'll find out." He said softly as the red and orange sun began its decent over the land. Dim lights turned on. Night was coming on.

It was about 2:00 am when Gale woke with a start. It was completely silent in the passenger car. The train had stopped moving. "Probably another refueling station." Gale muttered to himself. Then the door flew open and a slim figure walked in. She walked across the car but stopped when she reached Gale. He did not recognize her but she seemed to. A sly but mocking smile crossed her lips. "Hey, Handsome." Gale recognized her immediately. It was non other but the last surviving victor from district 7.

Johanna Mason

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	2. Chapter 1 conflict

Written by A

Chapter 1 Conflict

Gale stared at her, trying to figure out what to say, Here in front of him was one of the few people he would never care to see again. Johanna Mason was one of the toughest people Gale had ever met, however he did not find her that likeable. The only thing he could think to ask was "What are you doing here?"

"Well Handsome" she said plopping herself down next to him and making herself at home " The idiots in district 7 have finally gotten sick of me, so I'm visiting 12."

"Why" he asked annoyed

"Haymitch always has the best liqueur for starts" she said rummaging though her shoulder bag " I wanted to see if Peeta stopped having flashback or if Brainless is able to function anymore."

Johanna came out of her bag with two bottles of amber liquid. she handed one to him and popped the cap of the other one for herself "So whats your story?"

"Katniss said she wanted to see me" Gale said shortly

"So why are you here" She asked propping her feet on the chair in front of her.

"Going to district 12" he said slowly

"And where have you been the past year?" she asked through gritted teeth

"District 2" Gale said before he was pushed out of his chair "What the heck"

Johanna was seething as she yelled "What do you mean you haven't been to 12 in over a year!"

"I didn't have anything left there!" he shouted back

"You had more then the rest of us did" she said in a deadly whisper and with that she threw her bottle against the wall and stormed away.

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	3. Chapter 2 Fear

Chapter 3 Fear

Written by C

Gale glared at her as she stormed off. The train car had turned into a whirlpool of emotions. "What right does she have to talk to me that way?" Gale thought quite angry. Johanna had found a seat in the farthest end of the car. As far from him as possible. 'That was definitely for the better' Gale thought. She plopped herself into the seat, glaring at the boy from district 12. Her whole attitude was as if she would pull out a knife and throw through his heart any minute. Maybe that's what she what she was planning. To take a knife out of her bag. At this moment she could be deciding what to target, his heart or head. Gale was more then concerned at the possibility of this. Johanna was...unpredictable. Just then a ex-capitol woman briskly walked in. Her faded blue hair and attendant uniform was a good example of the equality now seen between the districts and the capitol. She looked horrified at the shattered glass that covered the floor and the amber colored stain that blotched the wall.

"Is everything all- Oh what a mess!" Her voice still carried the funny capitol accent.

"Yeah, she is a mess." Gale smugly replied looking straight at Johanna.

"Well at least I haven't spent the past year being a heartbroken jerk!" Johanna snarled.

"Please, Mr. Hawthorne. Please, Ms. Mason, please stop." The capitol attendant begged.

"Oh shut up!" Johanna and Gale yelled in unison yelled. Johanna grabbed something from her bag and threw at her. The capitol attendant fearfully left the room almost in tears. Johanna turned to Gale "I can't believe you!"

"Well your not much better!"

"You had a home and a family and friends and _you_ chose district 2!"

"That's-" The lights went out. Suddenly the train screeched to a stop, throwing both fiery individuals over their seats.

"What was-"

"We gotta get out of here!" Johanna's brown eyes flashed. She sensed some sort of danger and even if Gale didn't admit he sensed this danger too. Johanna had rushed to the door closest to her seat. It wouldn't budge. That's when The first explosion went off. It rang in their ears and shook the car.

"They're sealed shut." Johanna said grimly.

"The window's" Gale shouted.

"They're from the capitol, they won't break. And even if they did, I bet there'll be a forsefield in your way." Johanna blew it off as if nothing was happening. Another explosion.

"We can at least try." Gale snapped back.

"Don't be stupid, Hawthorne. We need to find another option."

Gale ignored her. He tried every way possible to break the windows. Nothing could break them. They were trapped...

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	4. Chapter 3 Gale's Headache

Chapter 3 Gale"s headache

Written by A

Gale finally gave up trying to get out through the window. He straightens up and take in the rest of his surroundings, most of the passengers where sitting quietly in there seats keeping distance between Johanna and Gale. Johanna herself was at the end of the car trying to pry the door open with a knife. From her bag. Every once in a while he heard another explosion that was much to close for comfort. He had to do something, anything other then wait here. In a moment of desperation he ripped the armrest from his chair and began to try to break through the opposite door. Sparks flew from the contact of metal on metal as he brought the armrest down again and again, but the door did not give.

"It won't help if you set the car on fire!" snapped Johanna from the other side if the car.

"It will help if it will melt your cold heart" He shouted back "of course that would mean you have one"

"Hawthorne" She yelled

"Shut It" he yelled back felling his anger and panic boiling over "Why do you care? when have you ever cared about anyone but yourself! what gives you the right to judge me?"

Johanna stepped up to him so close she was barely an ince from his. He fought every nerve in his body not to flinch. He had met a lot of scary people but she was terrifying, maybe even unstable.

"Why?" she asked in a deadly whisper "am I trying to save someone so stupid that he doesn't notice that the doors open" with that she ran out the door that she had somehow gotten open.

Gale ran out after her, cursing the universe that brought Johanna Mason into his life. The explosions had come from the other cars of the train. Gale could hear the hopeless screams from the closest car. He felt himself being thrown forward as the car he had been in exploded and felt his world go black.

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	5. Chapter 4 Goose Attack

Chapter 4 Goose Attack

Written by C

Katniss Everdeen had her gray eyes transfixed on the road leading to her home in victor's village. Gale wasn't here yet. "Maybe I should wait by our old meeting place." She thought as she moved away from the window. She had waited up all night. Gale should have have been here by this time...yesterday. She made her way back to the window within moments. She just couldn't stop waiting or watching. Katniss had opened the window late last night but now as the sun rose a gentle breeze was blowing in. "Gale, Where are you?" She whispered to herself. Just then something jumped onto the windowsill. "Honk!" Haymitch's great white goose.

"Great Haymitch forgot to feed his geese again. Get out of here!" She growled at the bird while waving her arms at it. Just then Buttercup, the world's ugliest cat, jumped onto the windowsill hissing at the bird. The goose aggressively bit the end of the feline's tale. With another hiss Buttercup answered the challenge and the games began. The result of this was Buttercup chasing the goose in circles around Katniss's yard. That's when Peeta showed up at first laughing at the pair and then almost falling over when they came, with wings flapping right toward him. Peeta jumped aside just in time. Katniss couldn't help but laugh. The animals seemed determined to bring Peeta into their disagreement as they came back towards him. This time he wasn't quick enough. The goose flapped his wings, took flight and landed on Peeta's head and then decided to peck him. Buttercup was not daunted by his prey's escape and climbed up poor Peeta trying to reach the bird. Katniss continued to laugh, but who wouldn't?

"Hey a little help here?" He said half talking and half laughing.

"Peeta, I think they like you?" She said as he pushed the goose off his head.

Peeta escaped quiet quickly laughing the whole time. For as soon as the goose was off his head Buttercup jumped off his back continuing his wild goose chase. Peeta's blue eyes were full of laughter. When he saw Katniss his expression was shadowed and became somber, for just a second, then returned to it's former joy.

"What did you do to them?" Peeta said with a laugh.

"Haymitch's bird started it. " Katniss said as the two animals finally made their way to Haymitch's yard. "He forgot to feed them again." Her eyes were transfixed to the road.

"Katniss, Katniss, You ok?" Peeta's cheerful voice had a shadow of fear in it as he popped his head through the open window, that she had been watching this scene from.

"I'm fine Peeta. " She said somewhat annoyed.

"Gale's not here yet." He said quietly.

"No."

"I bet he'll be here any minute, but until then here I made your favorite for breakfast and they've survived both a goose and a cat." Peeta handed her a basket of steaming rolls through the window. He gave her a sympathetic smile, he knew she was trying to figure out how to tell Gale that they were engaged, for real this time.

"Oh get in here. You look ridiculous." Katniss said with a slight smile as she pulled a goose feather from his blond hair. Peeta came in and sat next to her all morning waiting. It was a quiet but tense morning. Peeta tried to keep her from being worried but in truth, he knew she should be worried. Gale never came. A long day of agonizing waiting followed. The phone rang after they had eaten dinner. Katniss ran to answer it.

"Hello," Katniss said.

"Miss Everdeen, This is a notification to inform you that the train that was to arrive at district 12 yesterday morning at 8:00 am was attacked, destroyed, and that there were no survivors."

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	6. Chapter 5 Other side of a Coin

Chapter 5 Other side of a Coin

Written by A

Johanna felt ever single muscle in her body was aching and heavy. The last thing she could remember was watching the train car blow up and watching Gale fly though the air before landing several feet away from where he had been and not moving. She remembered hearing the screams from the people still on the burning train. Johanna felt a pinch in her neck before everything faded to black. She fought to open her eyes, but found her eyelids far too heavy.

'Am I dead?' she thought to herself 'dying shouldn't hurt this much'

She slowly became aware of her surroundings. Laying on a cold stone floor in a quiet room with her hands held in heavy metal shackles that were cutting into her wrist. When she tried to move she found them bolted to the floor. Johanna forced her eyes open, the room she was in was small and dimly lit with only one other person. Gale. He had a bloody gash across the side of his face, she was wondering if he was still alive when the door opened.

A woman walked in flanked by two heavily-armed men. She appeared to be in her mid forties with graying brown hair. Her eyes where light grey that could have been familiar, but they where not a pair that haunted her dreams.

"Awake are we" the woman said with a cruel smile.

"And here I was thinking I was still sleeping" Johanna spat back

"Now,now, no need to get angry" she replied back her smirk widening even more. Johanna could tell that the sick woman was enjoying this. She could tell this woman was dangerous, so dangerously twisted that Johanna fought to keep her heart rate under control.

"Says the woman whose not chain to the floor" Johanna said sarcastically "What do you want? Why are you doing this?"

"Revenge my dear Johanna" The woman said leaning closer to Johanna who could see hatred in her cold eyes "Anybody on the Mockingjay's side of the rebellion shall pay for what they did"

Johanna felt anger rising inside her "You sick Capitol freaks can't just leave it be can you!"

"Darling" The woman asked in a sickening sweet voice "what makes you think I'm from the Capitol?"

"Then who are you?" Johanna snarled.

"I am Revanche Coin" She said "The Mockingjay killed my sister"

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	7. Chapter 6 The Cry of a Child

Written by C

Johanna was speechless. "I didn't see that coming," she finally admitted flatly.

Revanche's dark smile showed that she was pleased with the power she held over her prisoner. "My, my, has Johanna Mason lost her touch?"

"Oh shut up! I didn't even know you existed three minutes ago! Now what do you want with me!" Johanna sharply replied.

"Now calm down, Johanna dear," she said in the most mocking tone. " Here is all you need to remember. Don't you ever forget that your a pawn in the games and that's all you'll ever be."

"Just remember Alma's mockingjay pawn didn't quite work in her favor. The games are still on Revanche, and you haven't won yet!"

Revanche's eyes lit up in fury. She hated Johanna, that was clear, but the defiance from the girl from district 7 was unacceptable. She glared at Johanna and then motioned to one of her guards. He handed her a silver steel bucket. Johanna's brown eyes widened in fear. She knew what was coming. Revanche poured the bucket of freezing water on the defenseless girl. Johanna screamed. It didn't matter how cold the water was it burned. Burned. The pain was intense. She struggled to free herself of her chains to no avail. The memories came flooding back. A prisoner in the capitol, Peeta's screams, the quarter quell, every tribute from district 7 that she lost over the years of mentoring, her own games, her family and finally his face. The face that had haunted her for years. The person who she had loved, who Snow had taken from her. She didn't even notice that Revanche had left. She didn't even realize that she had been screaming, "Revanche! You'll pay for this!" For about an hour straight. The scene faded into a blur of memories, then into darkness. Johanna woke up. The last thing she remembered hearing was Revanche, laughing at her suffering.

Johanna's head throbbed. She must have thrashed around so much that she knocked herself out. It was pitch black in the cell. The only dim light that lit the cell shone in from a small window on the door that Revanche had entered from. Johanna glared at it in hatred. Then she heard a moan. It was Gale, so he was alive. The gash on his forehead had stopped bleeding, but it looked ugly. No one had even bothered to wipe the blood that covered part of his face. He looked so confused and helpless as he opened his gray eyes and found himself a prisoner.

"Hey sleeping beauty, Believe it or not we're not prisoners of the capitol." Johanna said quietly. Gale looked at her still quite confused by the look on his face.

What?" was his shaky response.

"This is going to take awhile," Johanna said frustrated.

"Johanna, what's happening?" Gale said as he looked around the dark, dingy cell with a confused expression on his face.

"We're prisoners of Revanche Coin, President Alma Coin's little sister."

"Who?"

"The little sister of the ex-president of District 13."

"What does she want with us?"

"What does everyone want? Revenge." Johanna said quietly. "I'm guessing she's going after Katniss too. She wants revenge on the Mocking Jay and anyone who had anything to do with her."

"We have to get to District 12!" Gale started pulling at his chains.

"Cut it out stupid! Revanche's smart, we aren't going to break free of these chains. We'll need to be more creative then that" She said with a disgusted frown.

Both were completely silent. They were wracking their brains for an escape plan but nothing came. Finally Gale broke the silence.

"Your soaked. What happened?"

"Revanche." was all Johanna said. She hated it when anyone knew her weakness.

"Are you ok?" She looked into his eyes, he seemed sincere. This surprised her.

"I've been worse," she said with a slight smile, "How about you? That train attack kinda scraped up your pretty face, Handsome."

"Well, I've been worse too." He also said with a slight smile.

Both were silent again, they were thinking about escape and of the people now in danger. About an hour later both of them jumped when a scream followed by crying came outside the cell door. It wasn't a scream of terror or pain. It was a cry of a child, a baby. Johanna looked to Gale, her face full of terror. She started thrashing and pulling at her chains, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"NO! NO! NOT FINNICK! NO!"

"Johanna, Stop. Finnick's dead. Johanna calm down." Gale said quite confused.

"You don't get it! They have him! Those monsters!"

"Johanna, What are you talking about?"

"They have Finnick's son!"

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	8. Chapter 7 Johanna's Promise

Chapter 7 Johanna's Promise

Written by A

Johanna felt horror continue to run through her as she panicked. This woman had gone too far, she was hurting a child that was six mouths old. Not just any child, her best friend's son, Finnick Jr. She had seen him a few times when she visited Annie several times since the rebellion.

Johanna was a failure, she knew this, but that didn't stop the memory.  
_  
She was in the small room she had shared with Katniss in district 13, staring at the ceiling. She would not be going on this next mission, no matter how much she wanted to. If it had not been for the stupid flooded street she would be going._

Johanna heard a knock on the door, she opened it to see Finnick looking nervous. She stepped aside to let him into the room where he paced for several minutes with her watching from the bed. A few times he stopped and looked at her as if to speak then changed his mind and continued pacing.

"I need you to promise me something" he said as he finally stopped pacing.

"Make sure Annie is okay if you die" she said "we have been through this before Finn"

"No" Finnick said resuming his pacing "well that to but that not what I wanted to ask you"

"Then spit it out" Johanna said dryly.

"I need you to make sure my child is okay" he said.

"What" she asked

"Annie's pregnant" he said.

Johanna stared at Finnick, lips parted in surprise, Annie was what?

"What where you thinking" she spat.

"Johanna-" he began

"Bring a kid into this world? Like this? You've done a lot of stupid things Finnick! But this is by far the worst!" She screamed

Finnick looked at her with so much anger that it scared her "You're right" he said "Asking you was a stupid Idea" He stormed out of the room, not looking back.  
  
That was the last time she ever saw him. If only she would have gone on that mission, she could have died instead of him. He could have taken care of his son who he would have loved so much. Who she had failed to protect.

"Give me your hands" Johanna looked up to see Gale, out of his shackles holding a wire. She held her hands out so he could insert the wire into the lock of the shackles.

"Where did you get the wire?" she asked him.

"You're not the only one that's paranoid" he said "I keep a bit in the cuff of my shirt, there was more in my bag but that's not doing much good now"

When she was free both of them snuck to the door. They could not hear anything now, but expected that would not last after they tried to escape.

"Get the kid and get out" Gale said "Don't worry about me, don't stay and fight, just get out. Promise me"

Johanna looked straight at him and said words that where long too over due, to more then the man in front of her.

"I promise"

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	9. Chapter 8 Finding and Fighting

Chapter 8 Finding and Fighting

Johanna took a deep breath in moments they would put their escape/rescue plan into effect. Gale took a few quick glances out of the small window on the steel door of the cell. He mostly listened. He was using every sense of an experienced hunter and survivor. His gray eyes illuminated with complete focus. He had a mission and wouldn't stop at anything to complete it. Johanna had seen this stubborn determination before. It reminded her of a face that was ingrained in her memory not matter how hard she tried to forget it. The only sound in the cell was the sound of each breath they took, which were quiet and strained. Tension filled the air. Gale turned toward Johanna, his eyes were like flames.

"Remember what you promised. Don't come back, for anything no matter what happens." He whispered.

"Don't be stupid Hawthorne, I'm not risking Finnick's life."

The whispering seemed to cut the silence like the breaking of glass. He handed her the piece of wire they had freed themselves with and then motioned for her to stay down.

"You'll need this, don't give it to me!" Johanna replied harshly.

"Take it." Gale growled.

Johanna broke it in half with the chain that had shackled her to the floor. She handed him half of it in her always defiant way. He nodded and took the piece of metal. The time had come as the echo of footsteps came down the hall. The door opened. Bright light shone in and Gale striked. Johanna didn't wait to see the struggle, she took off, like a freed wild animal. The lights blinded Johanna as she made her way down the hall as quietly and quickly as possible. She looked into every cell that she passed, not finding little Finnick in any of them. She could hear Gale running in the opposite direction, being as loud as possible. It seemed to be working for guards running in her direction didn't see her when she slipped inside a cell and then waited for them to pass. Gunshots fired out. She was at the end of the hall. There was no sign of little Finnick.

The next hall of cells was no different. Johanna was very, very worried and frustrated beyond all reason. Gale couldn't hold them off forever. When she came to the last cell in the hall a person ran to the door dragging chains with them. Johanna didn't recognize him but the man who ran to the door of the cell seemed to recognize her.

"Johanna! Johanna Mason! Is it really you?" cried out the voice of Beetee.

"Shut up Volts! Come on I know your smarter than that! Do you want them to find me?!" Volts didn't look so good. He had multiple bruises on his face and was filthy almost beyond recognition.

"Sorry, but-"

"No time, we need to save Finnick's son."

"They have-"

"Shut it!"

Johanna unlocked and opened the door. It didn't take her more than a few minutes, but those were a few minutes lost.

"Alright, hold still Volts."

She quickly used the wire to unlock his chains.

"Come on, we're wasting time!"

She half dragged Beetee from the cell and they continued searching for little Finnick.

"You have any idea where they would keep him?" Johanna questioned Beetee irritably.

"I've seen no sign of him. I bet Revanche's keeping him on an upper floor. That would be this way." He said intelligently. That's when the cry of a baby echoed through the hall.

"He's this way!" Johanna ran dragging Beetee along. They burst into a room. Little Finnick wasn't there. Gale was and about twenty other district 13 soldiers.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled.

"We can't find him. It sounded like he was this here." Johanna fiercely replied.

"Well he's not. So here take this and go find him!" Gale tossed her a knife he had managed to get a hold of and Johanna trusted what she had heard, ignored Gale and joined the fight.

"Couldn't you have gotten me an axe." She said sarcastically.

Gale ignored her and handed Beetee a weapon. More guards and soldiers came in, they outnumbered the three by about twenty to one. That's when Revanche walked in. Her soldiers stopped fighting and so did the rebel and two victors. Revanche was holding little Finnick and a knife.

"I'd be careful if I were you," she smiled cruelly. "You wouldn't want to hurt the baby."

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	10. Chapter 9 Escaping Death

Chapter 9 Escaping Death

Written by A

Revanche held Finnick tight agenst her, knife threating to cut his baby soft skin. Gale wanted to run and grab the poor kid, tears where running down his face but he didn't make a sound. He would look so much like his father when he was older, already with bronze hair and green eyes. A father that he would never know, Gale remember other kids who had lost thier fathers much too soon. A boy and a girl who fought agenst all odds to survive before it had all came down in flames.  
"Drop your weapons" Revanche said breaking Gale out of his memories "or he gets it"  
Gale relectently dropped the pickaxe he was holding, behind him he could hear Johanna and Beetee doing the same. The soldiers restrained each of them within seconds, holding their hands behind their backs tightly.  
"You know most people offer dinner first" he heard Johanna say sarcasticly.  
"Shut up" said Revanche "my sister may have been willing to negosheate with you, but she was a fool, always was right up until the Mockingjay killed her. I will not stand for anybody standing in my way,the power to rule Panem will be mine"  
"Let the boy go" said Beetee calmly "he hasen't done anything"  
"Maybe not" said Revanche with a vicious smirk "But his parents have done enough" she moved to cut Finnick's face before she screamed and fell. One of the soldiers Gale reconized for district 13 stood behind her holding a stun gun. As one Gale, Johanna, and Beetee all broke free from the soldiers restraning them. Johanna ran forward to pull Finnick off the floor when Gale and Beetee atempted to fight of guards. The soldier that had attacked Revanche was laying on the ground, killed for his betrayal.  
"Window!" Gale shouted, motioning brifely torwards a boraded window near the ceiling. He along with Johanna, and Beetee ran to the window. During the struggle Gale saw soldiers fighting, Beetee trying to open the window, and Johanna holding Finnick tight against her body, fear evident on her face. Gale continued to fight soldiers off but he was fading fast 'So this is how I'm going to die' he thought. This was how it was going end, when he was twenty years old, trapped, fighting, like he always knew he would.  
Beetee finally got the window open, he fought off the soldier long enough for Johanna, Finnick, and Beetee to get through. He jumped out of the window, falling only inces before he hit...water. Warm, salty water that stung the gash on his cheek. He could see land not too far in the distance.  
"Swim!" he yelled to Beetee and Johanna, only to see Johanna with panic in her eyes. He handed Finnick to Beetee and pulled Johanna closer to him, dragging her to shore.  
"Where are we?" he asked Beetee as he tried to calm Johanna's hyperventalating.  
"District 4" Beetee said " It's been awhile but It looks the same as always, question is where do we go now"  
"I know" said Johanna surprising both Gale and Beetee  
"Annie are you here?" Johanna shouted, walking into Annie and Finnick's house in Victor Village without knocking. Beetee and Gale carrying Finnick followed her in. The house was different from Katniss' was it looked comfortable and lived in. Johanna moved from around the halls yelling for Annie.  
"Looks like she's not here" said Johanna "lets just stay here untill we figure out what to do"  
"Alright" Beetee said running a hand through his hair "I'm going to see if I can find a phone or radeo or anything"  
"I'm going to get Finnick cleaned up" said Gale, heading upstairs.  
I'm seeing if Annie has any good food" said Johanna heading to the kitchen.  
"It will be okay you know" Gale said to Finnick ten minutes later "I know it doesn't seem like it, but it will". Gale loved kids, they had this innocence that no one else had. Finnick just stared at him, holding one of his toys and looking sleepy.  
"You don't have a clue what I'm talking about, do you" said Gale feeling a true smile spread over his face for the first time in a long time.  
"GALE! JOHANNA! I NEED HELP NOW!" Beetee yelled from the floor below.  
Gale ran down the stairs, to one of the back rooms. He found Beetee next to Annie who was laying on the floor unconuse with a large bruse across her face. The room was in shambles as if she had been thrown across it a few times.  
"Is she?" Johanna asked as if unable to finish her sentance.  
"No, she's not dead" said Beetee "but she will be if we don't get her to the hospital soon"  
Gale, Johanna, Beetee, and Finnick where in the waiting room at district 4's hospital. They had been waiting several hours and had not been told anything. Finnick had finally fallen asleep against Gale's shoulder. 'What if she dies' Gale thought ' what if he has no one left in this world'. He heard footsteps, looking up he saw a blonde woman in a medical uniform approach them. She stared, wide eyed when she saw Gale.  
"You're dead" said Mrs Everdeen.

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	11. Chapter 10 No One Cares

Chapter 10 No One Cares

Written by C

"Well he looks pretty alive to me." Johanna said with a smirk.

"But the reports said that there were no survivors. That both of you were dead." Mrs. Everdeen looked as if they really were ghosts.

"What reports?" Gale said puzzled.

"All of Panem is mourning your deaths. It's all over the news. We were told that there was not one survivor of the train attack and that it had happened so fast that it was nearly impossible for anyone to escape."

"And all of Panem thought that a little train explosion could get rid of me, no they'll have to try harder then that to get rid of me. You're all stuck with me." Johanna said sarcasticly.

"They searched days for you and then with a report of your deaths President Paylor has told us that a group of rebels from the ex-capitol were responsible for it." Mrs. Everdeen said quietly. "Oh, Gale your face!" She exclaimed finally realizing that he had a gash on his face.

"Forget about that! Did you say that Paylor thinks that capitol rebels did it?"

"Yes but your going to need stitches-"

"I didn't think they would be that clueless." Beetee said with a frown.

"Here Gale I'll stitch this up. It won't hurt a bit." Mrs. Everdeen was completely oblivious to the danger of the situation and started cleaning and then stiching the wound on Gale's forehead.

"I don't think you understand. We need to contact the President. The Reublic and the surviving victors are in danger." Beetee said solemnly.

"And Handsome here probably wants to get word to Brainless and Loverboy back in 12." Johanna pointed out.

A nurse wearing a white uniform that was identical to Mrs. Everdeen's walked in the room.

"Mrs. Odair is awake and crying hysterically for her baby. We need you to bring Finnick in to her. Her room is numer 35 and is down the hall" She said bluntly and then briskly walked away. Johanna took the sleeping Finnick from Gale some what awkwardly and then headed down the hall.

"I think I'll go and see if I can get in contact with President Paylor. They need to know about Revanche." Beetee said.

"Good idea, Beetee." Gale replied. So Beetee got up and quickly left on his mission.

About five minutes later Mrs. Everdeen finished stitching Gale foehead. It had been an awkward five minutes because Gale didn't know what to say.

"Well there. You're all done Gale. It's good to still have you with us." She said with a smile.

"How's Katniss?" He said longingly.

The smile that had been on Mrs. Everdeen's face quickly disappeared.

"I don't know. She won't talk to me." She said quietly. "I need to go, It was nice seeing you Gale."

She had just left the room when Johanna came back. She was taking a bite out of a fresh steamy roll when made her way over to Gale.

"So?" Gale questioned her.

"So what?"

"How is Annie?!"

"Oh she's happy now and Finnick seems to be much happier too. There both sound asleep now. Here catch!"

She threw a roll at him, which Gale caught quite easily.

"Where did you-"

"I raided the kitchen, I mean we haven't eaten in a day and I'm not planning on starving anytime soon."

"Beetee went to contact someone about-" A large explosion went off and the sound of machine guns fireing filled the air.

"Revanche!" They both said in unison.

"Leave it to that witch to attack a hospital full of sick people." Johanna said sarcastically.

"Come on we need to find Annie and Finnick!" Gale said. So both ran down the hall only to find a sea of district 13 soldiers who had tried killing them earlier that day.

"We need to get to Annie!" Johanna growled.

"We're no use to her dead, anyway Revanche wants us not her. The only way to protect them is to get out of here!" Machine guns fired. Smoke filled the air. The sceams of the innocent were mixed the fire of guns. They were driven down a hall. Gale looked for an escape, trying to think like his animal prey would. He scaned their surroundings and found the only way of escape.

"Found it. This way!" He pointed to a window in a room at the end of the hall. They ran to the window, knocking down wheelchairs and tables and throwing whatever they could at tne advancing soldiers.

"This better be a good idea! You hear me Hawthorne!" Johanna snarled as she threw a table covered in medicines at the soldiers. Gale opened the window. Below lay a river that ran into the ocean. It was fierce with waves crashing in every direction. It looked deep and seemed to have a very strong current. The soldiers were coming closer, the guns fired in all directions. Johanna scraemed in pain and grabbed at her arm. She had a bullet in her arm below her shoulder.

"Come on!" He shouted.

Johanna turned and looked out the window. She froze and seemed to be in a trance. She stared at the blue-green waves below, fixated.

"Johanna!"

She didn't respond.

Take my hand, trust me!" Gale shouted as he climed out the window. A bullet flew past his head. He was out of time and so was she. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the window. She fought him as he dragged her.

"Johanna just trust me it's our only chance!"

"Go! Leave me it's not like you or anyone else cares!" She screamed in his face.

She contined to fight him but Gale was stronger.

"Go you idiot! There's no one left for me! No one will care!" She screamed as he finally got her out of the window.

He let go of the sill he had kept his grasp on. They fell. It was a huge drop to the water below. Gale had let go of his grasp of her hand. He expected Johanna to have to, but she didn't. She grasped his hand even harder and they plummeted to the water below.

**We are not above begging. Pretty, pretty please review with sugar on top... and a cherry... please **


	12. Chapter 11 Wishing For Death

Chapter 11 Wishing For Death

Written by A

Johanna felt as if knives were pressing into her body as she plummeted into the cold water. The only thing that kept her in this world was Gale's hand, that she had in a death grip. She fought the panic that threatened to overcome her body, even enough to fully let go of everything. Blackness edged her vision, but she was not blessed with peaceful unconseuseness as water went into her lungs. Johanna felt strong arms tightened around her body as everything went completely black.  
_She was in a forest at dusk, the sun's dying rays were shining though the autumn leaves. Her hair was fanning around her waist, long and loose as it had been before the games. The place she was in was much like one she had been in so long ago, only one thing was missing.  
"Miss me?" a voice behind her asked.  
There he was, brown, floppy hair that fell into his blue eyes was it always did, his mischievous smile shown like it always had. She ran to him, him arms wrapped around her like they always had. He lifted her off the ground, swinging her around until they fell, laughing.  
But it was not as it was suppost to be, she didn't feel the warmth she remembered feeling. She was in her life before her games and he was forever seventeen, the forest they were in was too perfect for the thick, woody forest of District 7.  
He was holding her as she had wished he could ever since she lost him. Her head was resting on his shoulder, arms holding tight around his waist. His cheek was against her hair as he held her close to him, fingers running through her hair in a comforting motion.  
"Am I dead" She asked after a few moments. She knew she wasn't suppost to be here, it was too calm, too peaceful. There was no sign of the dark cloud that seemed to fallow her after her games. She couldn't bring herself to feel any worry as she had for years, even when she tried not to show it. Johanna felt lighter, cleaner, like everything had been a realistic dream that she had finally awoke from.  
"I don't think so" He whispered into her hair.  
"Can I be?" She asked him, pulling away just enough to look into his blue eyes. Eyes that haunted her dreams "please can I just stay"  
"It doesn't work like that" He said sadly, gazing into her eyes "you need to go back, you can't give up, you're not a quitter Johanna. I won't let you be"  
"You left me!" she screamed suddenly angry "I needed you! I still need you and you left me! How dare you" she began hitting him, giving every bit of anger she had ever felt into each punch. He took every bit of it, feeling her rage weaken as she started to cry. Sobs shook her body as she finally pressed her face into his chest. Johanna cried for all the people she had lost. The family she couldn't save, allies she couldn't protect, the best friend she ever had who only asked for her to make sure his child was safe. She cried for lives lost in the arena and the rebellion, whether she had anything to do with them or not.  
But most of all she shed tears for the man who held her. This wonderful man had wanted to give her everything she could ever want or need. He would have taken her place in the Hunger Games if he could. No matter how much she tried to hide her feeling he always knew.  
"I'm sorry" He whispered softly, tears glistening in his eyes "I am so sorry Johanna. I never meant to hurt you" He held her face in his hands wiping away the tears with his thumb.  
"Why?" she asked "Why me? Why us?"  
"I don't know" He said softly "I don't know how anyone could ever hurt you. Maybe there is some sort of fate that guides our lives, but we don't know it"  
She closed her eyes listening to the rustling of the leaves and his steady heartbeat, the woody scent of the forest was strong without being overwhelming. Johanna could not remember being this relaxed, even before she had lost everything. She felt loved, safe, as if nothing could possibly harm her.  
"You can't stay here" He reminded her gently, still holding her.  
"But I don't want to go back" She whispered "I don't want to leave here, there's no pain here, you love me here" she looked down, tears falling from her eyes "No one loves me there"  
Johanna felt his hand lift her chin up, she looked into his eyes seeing love and pain there "They may not love you Johanna, but they need you. If someone wants to love you, let them" and he kissed her. Slow, sweet, and gentle like he had always been, a perfect contrast to Johanna's rough personality.  
"I love you" He said before kissing her forehead "But I need you to let me go" She felt him start to slip away as darkness took over her surroundings "No"  
_"No" Johanna mumbled as she felt her body being dragged through sand. She opened her eyes to see Gale looking angry.  
"What were you thinking?" he said in a low, harsh voice "Do you have a death wish or something? Could you possibly be that stupid?"  
"You're the one stupid enough to not let me die!" she screamed  
"I didn't go through all that trouble just to see you die" Gale yelled back "How could you be so selfish"  
"I told you" she said "no one loves me, who would miss me"  
"Maybe someone would if you cared if they lived or died" Gale said harshly  
"I care if you live or die Hawthorne" She snapped "I'd just wish you would die" and she walked away not caring to look behind her.

**Please Review **


	13. Chapter 12 The Mockingjay Return

Chapter 12 The Mockingjay Returns

Written by C

"She's still upset." Peeta said wearily to Haymitch.

"She'll get over it and why are you coming to me for advice anyway." Haymitch said as he took another sip from his bottle of whiskey.

"You're the only person I have to talk to." Peeta said with a frown.

"Well, what's wrong with her?"

"She seems to be slipping into depression again."

"So," Haymitch replied.

"I can't lose her Haymitch! I can't! " Peeta sounded somewhat desperate.

"She'll get over it like she's gotten over everything else. So calm down and paint a picture or bake some bread or something."

"Thanks for the advice Haymitch, too bad it wasn't helpful." Peeta said glumly as he left his old mentor's house.

Peeta quitely walked over to Katniss's house. The little bit of happiness he and Katniss seemed to have was shattered by Gale's death. He remembered how she had hung up the phone that fateful day and then turned to him, with a look of pure anguish on her face. Her gray eyes were full of pain. "Gale's dead." was all she said. Peeta had taken her in his arms. She sobbed. Katniss had been having nightmares ever since and now she was refusing to sleep. Anytime she couldn't sleep Katniss had called Peeta and he spent the sleepness nights holding her hand and talking to her calmly. He knocked on the door to her home. No one answered. Greasy Sae had probably already left and Katniss was in no mood to be friendly.

"Katniss! Katniss! It's me, Peeta!"

The door opened. She said nothing, but looked him in the eyes. Her gray eyes were still deep sea of sorrow. Peeta felt his heart breaking. He was losing his Katniss, it just wasn't fair.

"Katniss, What is it?" Peeta said softly. She didn't reply, instead she walked away. He followed her into the kitchen.

"Katniss, What's wrong?" He said in a worry filled voice.

"The hospital my mother was working in was attacked. She's in critical condition."

"I'm sorry Katniss." He hugged her, but it didn't seem to comfort her.

"I did not realize you were so close to you mother-"

"I'm not!" She interrupted fiercely.

"Then what is it? What's bothering you Katniss?" Peeta's concerned blue eyes looked deep into hers.

"It's all the people, all of the innocent people that are dying because of me!" She said angerly.

"That's not true, Katniss it isn't your fault."

"It is Peeta! IT IS! Now Gale's dead and its all my fault!" She pulled back while yelling in his face.

Peeta's face darkened. The dark memories of her from the hyjacking were coming back. His blue eyes were wide and wild.

"Hey you two, so both having mental break downs at the same time. How romantic." Haymitch said with a michieveous smile. Haymitch's annoying comment seemed to snap Peeta out of it. Katniss was as angry as ever.

"Heard you weren't doing well so I brought you a present sweetheart." Haymitch continued. He handed her a plate of brownies. The look on Katniss's face was of total dibelief. She was shocked, angry, and caught totally off guard.

"You should see the look on your face!" Haymitch said with a laugh.

Katniss threw the plate at his face and stormed away. Peeta who just couldn't resist it picked up one of the brownies from the floor and tasted it.

"Yuck, It tastes like whiskey!"

"I never said that they tasted good." Haymitch said with a smile.

"What did you do pour a bottle of the stuff on them?"

"How else would you make icing?" Haymitch picked up one of the brownies from the ground and ate it.

"Haymitch this isn't the time for joking around."

"You're the one that was freaking out because she was depressed, so now she's angry instead of depressed." Haymitch said as he turned toward the door.

"And your leaving!" Peeta said in disbelief.

"She's your fiancee, good luck Peeta." Haymitch laughed as he left.

Peeta was deciding what to do when he saw Katniss take off down the road. She must have slipped out of a window. She was headed toward the forest. Peeta knew she needed her space but he decided to follow her anyway.

The air was cool and the trees swayed in the breeze. Katniss knew where she was going and Peeta had a difficult time keeping up with her without being seen. She was agile, quick, and quiet and Peeta almost lost her more than once. She stopped in a place that over-looked district 12. She sat down and started crying. Peeta didn't know this but this was the place where she and Gale had always met and spoke together. This was the place where she and Gale had eaten that roll from Peeta's father's bakery the day of the reaping. The place where Gale's dream of a rebellion was born. She had never guessed that Gale would never be here with her again. Peeta walked over and sat next to her. She stopped sobbing to look up and see who he was.

"Hopeing for someone else, I know, I'm sorry." Peeta said when he could see the dissappointment in her face. "You need to stop blaming yourself Katniss. It's not your fault."

"Peeta I can't let his death go unavenged. Who ever it is is targeting me and I need to stop them. Gale would have done the same for me."

"Katniss don't even think about it!"

"I need to do something. I can't just sit here and let more innocent people die because of me."

"Your suppossed to stay in district 12, your not allowed to leave." He said sounding really concerned.

"Peeta, I've made up my mind."

"What if something happened to you? Katniss," He paused and looked her right in the eyes. His blue eyes radiated fear. "Katniss, I can't lose you."

"I'm sorry Peeta but I need to find Gale's killer and stop him from hurting anyone else."

"You know this is what they want you to do. That you are walking into their trap."

"I don't care!" She replied with determination.

"If your leaving then I'm going with you and don't try to argue because I can be just as stubborn as you Katniss."

"Then it's decided. We're leaving district 12."

**If you review I am more likely to view your profile, meaning I am more likely to read your stories, meaning I am more likely to review your stories. Is this clear?**


	14. Chapter 13 Understanding

Chapter 13 Understanding

Written by A

Gale watched Johanna go. He wondered if she knew how close she came to dying, or if she even cared. They had gotten to shore several minutes before she had regained consciousness. He had thought she was going to die, not competently sure she wasn't for a few minutes. Her pulse had been slow, extremely slow and her body had been dreadfully cold.  
The thought of losing her scared him, he didn't even like her, but he knew her couldn't lose her, even if he didn't know why.  
Because he couldn't lose anyone else. He remembered losing his father at age thirteen and fighting for his family and his life. He remembered losing Catnip, his best friend and the girl he had loved. But most of all he remembered losing another thirteen year old, Prim had died at his hand. It had never been proven that it had been his design, but it might as well have been. He hated what he had done during the rebellion, hated who he had become during the rebellion. She had only been trying to help, like she always had and he had destroyed her, sweet and innocent and she was gone before anyone could save her.  
When he remembered this he understood Johanna if only a little bit. He knew the feeling well, he himself wanted to just give up sometimes. The only reason he didn't was that he didn't think he deserved to, it would be the easy way out. He often thought dying would be easy, living was the hard part. When you would die, you would be free, no Capitol, no rules, no pain.  
Yes he understood Johanna wanting to die, but he was still angry that she tried to give up when they were in danger. After dragging each other around, trying to keep each other alive, she had some nerve to even try.  
Gale couldn't figure out why he even cared if she killed herself or not. She wasn't even a part of his life before this whole mess started, if nothing else this mess started when she came into his life again. He wondered if hardship had followed her everywhere she went and who had been through them with her. Why was she determine not to let anyone in? Had she always been like that or had something happened that made her that why?  
Whatever the reason was, he needed to find her. He was still wet meaning she was too and the temperature was dropping as darkness was falling. Gale wasn't foolish enough to hope that Revanche would just assume they were dead, she would be after them soon and they needed to move. He was a bit surprised that her army hadn't caught up with at least him yet. He set out for her into the woods several yards away from the beach, if he was completely honest with himself he missed being in the woods outside District 12. He hoped this woods wouldn't be much different. They were, the trees were much thicker then they were in District 12 and he didn't know these woods like he had know the ones back home.  
He spotted her leaning against a thick oak tree, knees to her chest. She didn't see him standing only a few yards away. Her eyes were closed as if she was trying to block something out, she was breathing deeply as he crept closer to her. She was shaking, he knew that she like him was feeling the coldness that had began to creep around them. Her arms were wrapped around own her shoulders, blood dripping down her left arm.  
Blood? It took him several moments until he remembered that she had been shot before they had escaped the hospital. Gale knew that it mush have hurt her a lot when they were in the salty, sea water, as the gash on his cheek had stung. Once he was closer to her he could see pain wrought across her face.  
"Get lost, Hawthorne" Johanna snapped as he kneeled down beside her to check her arm "You'll just make it worse"  
"Don't be an idiot, Mason" he said, examining the wound "This can't go untreated, you should know that"  
"And what exactly are you planning to use to treat this minor cut" She said sarcastically. Gale had to admit she had a point. They did not have anything to wrap it with and even if he had medicine he wouldn't even know what to use or how to use it. He didn't even know if he should remove the bullet, much less how to do it.  
"Your right" he admitted "come on we have to go"  
"Where are we going" Johanna asked with her eyebrows raised.  
"We need to get out of here" he said "Revanche will be after us soon, we need to keep moving"  
"What makes you think I want to escape again?" Johanna asked.  
"What make you think she will just kill you" Gale retorted making Johanna get up and start moving.  
Several hours later they were curled against each other leaning against a tree. They could not risk lighting a fire, in case Revanche's army was near. Which left them cuddling together for heat, Gale wasn't happy about it and knew Johanna wasn't either. Nether of them had the will to complain, both far past tired.  
Gale felt Johanna's head nodding off against his shoulder, he thought back to earlier that day when she had yelled at him.  
"I understand you know" he whispered to her "about wanting to end it all. About how you just wish you were dead"  
"No" she whispered so quietly that he was surprised to hear it "trust me you don't"  
He remained quiet after that and pretended that he didn't feel the tears slowly soaking his shoulder.

**Please review**


	15. Chapter 14 The Story Never Told

Chapter 14 The Story Never Told

Written by C

Gale opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep despite the freezing temperature, his empty stomach, and being hunted in an unknown forest with Johanna Mason. He looked to his side expecting Johanna to be next to him, but she was gone. Gale felt panic come over him. He didn't understand why but he did. Had she abandoned him? He got up and started searching for the missing girl from district 7.

"Johanna! Johanna!" He yelled out her name with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

He wandered among the great oak and stately pine trees. He heard a quiet moan. Gale froze. Was it Johanna or was this this a trap set by Revanche? He silently walked in the direction that he had heard the moan come from. There was the sound of the gentle rush of water. Gale walked silently into a clearing. There he found a creek with Joahnna sitting next to it. She was holding moss up to the wound on her arm. Probably in an effort to stop the bleeding. She was shivering but didn't seem to care. The pale moonlight shone on her dark brown hair. It illuminated the features of her face making her look soft and sad instead of her usual harsh fierceness. Gale couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful, but just for a moment. There was something wrong. Johanna hadn't noticed him. She groaned in pain again and thn gritted her teeth.

"Johanna, Are you alright?" Gale said softly. She look startled and then just plain angry.

"What the heck are you doing?!" She shouted.

"Quiet down, you don't want Revanche to find us."

"Oh I don't care!" She said as she adjusted the piece of moss that she holding to her wound.

"Calm down, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't!" She defended herself fiercely.

"How bad does it hurt?"

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone."

A deep clear howl filled the air. It made both of their hearts race. That was no wild wolf or cyote. That was a mutt. Johanna's face was filled with concern. Her brown eyes were wide in fearful recognition.

"Those are muttations!"

"Revanche's probably behind them. Come on we need to get out of here." Gale said as he got up.

Johanna slowly rose to her feet. She clentched her teeth trying to hide that she was in agony. Gale gave her a questioning look.

"Are you sure-"

"Oh shut up!" She growled as she walked further into the forest.

The gentle rays of sunlight was a signal to the weary travelers that dawn was approching. They had follwed the fresh water creek, that Johanna had found, deeper into the forest. Gale was concerned about Johanna. She was very pale and seemed to be weak. She did a good job hiding it though. Anytime he had offered for them to take a break she screamed at him like he had just suggested tha they jump back into that river. She didn't like feeling weak that was more then obvious. Finally Gale put hs foot down, he was going to make her stop and take a break if she liked it or not.

"Johanna, we're stopping." Gale said firmly.

She glared at him and continued walking. She was too tired to make a smart remark.

"Johanna, we need food and you need rest."

"Oh and all of a sudden we care for the selfish heartless girl." She said sarcasticly. So maybe she wasn't that tired.

Gale didn't respond. He didn't know how to. He had called her heartless and selfish. So he quietly went to work catching fish. Johanna had started a fire and Gale was useing a sharp stone to prepare the fish for cooking. It was safe to lite a small fire by the creek because it was dawn and fog covered the forest. Johanna was very quiet and ate the fish he gave her without saying another word. Gale noticed that she avoided using her injured arm, actually she wasn't using it at all. The wound looked raw and agitated. Gale knew it was infected and Johanna did too.

"Johanna we need to get that bullet out of your arm."

"No."

"Johanna, Your going to get sick-"

"No!"

"Can't you just trust me with this?"

"No! No! No!" She was very upset now.

Gale didn't bother trying to argue with didn't trust anyone, why would she trust him? She had made up her mind and wouldn't budge.

They had travled for the rest of the day with little conversation besides an ocassional moan from Johanna followed by Gale asking her if she was alright. That evening they feasted on left over fish and some wild berries that Johanna had recognized as edible.

"Alright, we need to make a plan of what to do next." Gale said with resolution. Johanna rolled her eyes.

"Do what you want, that doesn't mean i'll follow you."

"Johanna can't you just try to care!"

"You know what Hawthorne, we're in the games now but this time neither of us will be the victor."

"You're giving up!" Gale shouted.

"And your point is?"

"Johanna I'm not letting you give up. We've come to far for you to quit now! You're no quitter Johanna so stop acting like one!"

Those words she had heard them before. Gale noticed the sudden pain that filled her eyes. She looked him in the eye.

"Do you realize what your saying?"

"I just want you to try and act like you care!"

"Have you ever thought that I don't show that I care because I'm afraid?! That everyone I ever loved died and left me behind! That anytime I love of care for someone they die!" Her voice had steadily rose to an angry shout.

"Johanna what are you hiding from the world?" Gale's replied soberly.

She looked crestfallen. She looked in pure agony as the memories came back.

"It all started when my oldest brother was reaped for the games."

**Weren't expecting that were you. Review if you want to know what happens **


	16. Chapter 15 Story of a Broken Family

Chapter 15 Story of a Broken Family

Written by A

Gale stared at Johanna, it had been several minutes since she had admitted that her brother had been reaped for the Games. He wondered if she planned on telling him more or even if it had actually happened or was just trying to shock him into silence. Johanna had her eyes close as if to block out the memories.  
"Why don't you start from the beginning" he said gently  
She gave him a look that made her appear much older then she was. He knew that look well, it had appeared on his own face more often the it should have. Finally she took a deep breath and began her story.  
"I was twelve so it was my first reaping, my twin brother Johan and I where waiting for the reaping to start. We were so nervous that we would be call, after the girl was called all I was hoping was that Jo wouldn't be picked. We knew we were as tough as anyone in the district, but we couldn't kill, we didn't have the ability to. The escort called Otto and for a moment I was relieved, until I realized that it was my older brother that was called.  
When I finally got it through my mind I just started screaming, begging for him to not go. I think I started running up to the stage to drag him back home even if he couldn't. Peacekeeper dragged me back too my parents, my mom was sobbing so hard it was a mirical that she keep standing. My dad he just stood there like he was waiting for some stupid punch line that never came. My little brother Fritz just kept crying, me and Johan were holding onto each other like we would never let go. None of us could believe it, we knew he had a more then decent chance because he would always sign up for tesserae because we didn't have a lot of money. So at eighteen he had 49 slips of paper in the reaping ball, but he only needed one as he would always remind me."  
Gale watched Johanna through telling the story of her brothers Games. She kept her eyes closed as if she was trying to remember but he knew from her steady voice she remembered way too well. She continued the story "Me and Johan went to see him together, I don't think we ever held each others hand as tightly when we were kids as tightly as we did. We were the last to see him, he was pacing when we got there. Then he looked at us and told us to take care of our family, because he couldn't do it until he came back. All three of us though he would come back, but he didn't."  
Gale wanted to hold her, to comfort her in some way, but he didn't know how. He knew she wouldn't accept it even if he did. Johanna wasn't like that she was to tough to let anyone see her pain, or so she thought. He could see the cracks forming in her stony mask that he had never seen down, her resolve was braking. Gale liked to see her opening up to him, it made her seem more human. He just wished she wasn't in so much pain. He wondered what else she had under her steely exterior.  
"Over the next few days we went from a perfectly happy family to random people who didn't even talk to each other. We just wanted Otto to come home, we were angry that he got reaped and we took it out on each other. I avoided everyone I cared about, even Johan who was both my twin and my best friend. We were never as close after that, we both said something's that we never should have said and we never forgave each other for them."  
"Otto did well in training and interviews he scored a nine and was expected to do well. He did well until the Games were down to five people, they were eight days in. He was killed by the girl from 1 who slit his throat when he was sleeping. I watch as she killed him and she enjoyed it, she was a monster. I remember when Finnick-"  
"Wait, your brother was in Finnick's Games" Gale interrupted. Johanna glared at him "sorry go ahead"  
"As I was saying, when Finnick killed her, I was smiling. I was happy that she was dead, she had taken him and she deserved to die. As soon as I thought that I realized that maybe I was a monster too I had wished she would just die and she did." Johanna took a breath, lowering her eyes to the ground "She was the last person killed before Finnick won. When I was in my Games the first person I killed was the girl from district 1. And when I won the first friend I made was Finnick Odair." Johanna shook her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes "After Otto died I was mad at everyone, at my parents because if they had made more more he wouldn't have those extra slips, at Fritz because he didn't understand, at Johan because he wasn't the one picked. After I won I was even mad at Otto because I thought he took the easy way out, living after the Games its torture." Tears where running down her face now "It's not like everyone thinks it is Gale, being a victor, you're not yourself anymore, the Capitol owns you. Sure we're free now, but only seven of us got to see it. Seven victors out of seventy-five, Haymitch, Peeta, Brainless, Beetee, Annie, whats-hers-face from District 2, and me. That's all that's left out of seventy-five years of tributes, seven people, and we're all broken"  
She began to sob, Gale couldn't take it anymore. He gathered her in his arms, being careful of her gunshot wound. Johanna Mason may have been a victor, but life she had said she was broken. For the first time she saw her as someone who was not giving up, but tried of losing everything she had ever love.  
He stayed with her, holding her and she let him.  
Maybe she did have a heart.

**Thank you to all who have left reviews any imput at all is very helpful**


	17. Chapter 16 The Day He lost Her

Chapter 16 The Day He Lost Her

Written by C

Johanna sobbed for so long that she couldn't remember when she had pulled away and ran from Gale. She felt her heart breaking again like it had so many times before in her life. The memory of each loved one lost was almost unbareable. That's why she tried to forget them but no matter how hard she tried they would return to her. The ghost of each had followed her and had plagued her nightmares since that first reaping. There had only been sorrow and loss since her own games. The gentle footsteps of Gale had followed her, for some reason she knew it was him. He gently wrapped an arm around her. She turned and glared angerly in his face. She was suprised to see sorrow and sympathy in his own eyes. Maybe he could understand, or at least try to.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. She pulled away from him, still angry and not knowing why.

"Johanna I know you're in pain, It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to tell me. I just wanted to know if you cared."

"My life is non of your buisness, stupid!" She growled.

"We both know that your angry because I asked you to tell me and every terrible memory you have is fresh in your mind. If you want to tell me the rest I'll listen and never tell another living soul. Johanna sometimes telling can help relieve the pain"

She looked him in the eye fiercely. He had broken her resolve to hide the pain forever. He knew part of the story, he should know the rest.

"You should know that these wounds never heal, I always have these memories in my mind. Everything here reminds me of home of those days before my life was destroyed." She closed her eyes again.

"It's ok, Johanna."

"It's not, but you should why." So she contined her sorrowful tale.

"I found my family a total wreck after we loss Otto. Mother and Fritz were constantly sick, Johan wouldn't talk to anyone, and my father lost it. He spent most of the days wasteing the little money we had in the bar in town. Johan and I dropped out of school and took jobs at one of the lumber mills. The work was hard but we didn't care. We had promised Otto that our family would be cared for so we did what we had to do. Everyday we lived under the shadow of our sorrow. It had been about a year later that everything changed. A blizzard was coming, you could feel it in the air, and we were rushing to finish the order. Johan had been coughing all day. I knew he was sick but he wouldn't go home. He didn't want to lose the money or the job. I told him to take my coat. He protested but I smacked him one and made him put it on. As the storm came on and he got worse, I don't know how I did it but after alot of yelling and screaming I made Johan go home. I promised him that I would finish his order. It was only about ten trees to go. The air was frigid and I felt my fingers freezing. The snow was beginnning to come down hard. The ax slipped from my frozen fingers. Before I had a chance to grab it he handed it to me. I guess I had been working so hard that I didn't see him come over. He started working on one of Johan's trees. I was afraid that he would take credit for the work so I screamed at him and called him every name I could think of, not realizing that he was trying to help me. He showed no sign of anger towards me but turned to me and said in his calm consoleing tone, It's ok Johanna. It's ok."

She paused looking sorrrowfully at the ground. She didn't even care if Gale was listening, it was as if she had entered another world. A world of memories and sorrow.

"Crispin Miller changed my life." Without realizing it Johanna smiled. Just by saying the name that she had forbidden herself to say for so long comforted her.. Gale looked at her suprised but immediatly the shadow of what was to come brought back her look of misery.

"He helped me finish the order and then took his own coat and wrapped it around me. He walked me home that night during the raging snow storm. I didn't want to trust him but after a few months he earned my trust. Soon that trust became love. He loved me and was always there for me. I never deserved him, but he was mine and I was his. Johan was jealous of him at first but it impossible to hold a grudge against Crispin. Crispin was calm and gentle and a rebel at heart. When he was five his parents had been arrested by peacekeepers and were never seen again. Rumors had it that they were trying to start a rebellion. It seemed true because that spirit lived on in him. We would climb trees in our spare time and he would listen to me and I to him for hours. He spoke of rebellion and of a better life. I would laugh at him, thinking it an impossibility. He wanted us to run away but I couldn't leave my family behind. My life was never so peaceful and I was never so happy. I can't remember ever being that happy. Our bliss lasted for two years, now the whole town was expecting us to get married. It was the moring of the reaping that Crispin proposed. He had carved me ring from the wood of the tree that we would always meet at. It would be my token in the games."

With tears in her eyes she took off a necklace that she had been wearing under her shirt. On the end of the thin rope was a smooth wood ring, it was made of oak and was carved to perfection.

"So we went to the reaping I remember rubbing the ring between my fingers. I kept looking over to Crispin, he would smile back reassuringly. The escort took out the slip of paper and my name was called. I couldn't believe it, my world had ended. I walked up to the platform. I heard Johan yelling in the background, Fritz was crying, and my mother was screaming. Then I put the plan Crispin and I had made over a year ago into effect, we were prepared if either of us had ever been reaped. I started sobbing hysterically and acted like I weak. I looked at Crispin, his face was as pale as a ghost. I wanted to run to him. Gale, he was devastated and afraid, it broke my heart. The day I had promised myself to the man I loved, the capitol took me away from him."

**Please review we always love to hear what you think**


	18. Chapter 17 Never Had a Chance

Chapter 17: Never Had a Chance

Written by A

Gale woke slowly from light slumber, ever since the rebellion he had trouble sleeping. He felt an odd warm weight against one side of his body, Johanna was still fast asleep. She looked different when she was sleeping, peaceful, younger, almost gentle. He didn't want to rouse her, but knew that they needed to move on. Revanche was sure to be on their trail, and they had been sitting in the same place for to long. He woke Johanna and she got up and began walking without a word. After several hours he noticed that she was struggling to keep up with him. Thinking that she was weak from the same hunger that he was feeling, he suggested they stop for a short time.  
Johanna looked bad, there was a thin sheet of sweat covering her unusually pale face. He tried to approach her to check on her arm as she snapped "Get away from me Hawthorne"  
Gale was shocked but not enough to obey, he crept closer "Come on Johanna, That's infected pretty bad, you don't need to pull the tough girl card anymore"  
"Go away, were not friends, I don't trust you" she yelled at him.  
"Sobbing into my shoulder several time in the past few days says otherwise" he said not unkindly "Just let me take a look"  
She glared but let him look, the skin around the wound was an angry red color, infection had set in. Johanna's body radiated more heat then usual, she was sick. He felt her forehead, which was far too hot to be normal.  
"Johanna, I need to take this bullet out" He was surprised when she nodded, but didn't lose anytime. "This is going to hurt" he warned.  
"I wonder what that feels like" Johanna said, Gale felt a small grin tug at his lips at her sarcasm. If she was well enough to wisecrack she was still fighting.  
With the slightest bit of hesitation he pulled at her wound to reach the bullet. She was screaming the best profanities of District 7 at the top of her lungs before passing out. He finally extracted the bullet, and cleaned the wound as best he could. He thought for a minutes before ripping a piece of his shirt off and wrapping it around her arm to protect it.  
Gale kept watch that night waiting for Johanna to wake up, he would never admit it but he was worried about her. It was true they didn't really like each other but he didn't think he could lose anybody else. He had lost people his whole life and until a few days ago he had thought it was over, that Panem could be peaceful. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Johanna had woken up until she spoke to him.  
"Tell me about your family" she said looking up at him "I told you about mine now tell me about yours"  
He thought for a moment before beginning his story "I was thirteen when my father died in a mine accident, I had two little brothers, Rory and Vick, and my mom was pregnant with my sister Posy. We lived in the poorest part of 12 called the Seam and we were slowly starving to death. I began hunting in the woods outside our district, mostly setting snares and trapping animals. After several mouths I met Catnip-"  
"Catnip?" Johanna asked  
"Katniss" he clarified "when we met she said her name so softly I thought she said Catnip"  
"And you were enough of an idiot that you thought someone would name their kid after a cats drug"  
"Shut up"  
"You shut up"  
"You're the one who wanted to hear the story"  
"Then tell it"  
"I was" he said angrily "so me and ___Katniss_ started hunting together and became friends. We were really close until she volenteered for her sister, who I later killed with my bomb and when she finally wanted to see me I got on a train which got blown up. Then I was kidnapped, escaped, dragged the most annoying person in the world and a baby through the ocean to District 4. And then dragging that same annoying person through the woods and here we are, any questions?"  
"You forgot about Beetee" Johanna piped up as if she were half asleep.  
"I did?" Gale asked, she didn't answer but he realized that he did forget Beetee, he hoped he was okay. And Mrs. Everdeen, Annie, and little Finnick, they didn't know what happened to them. He wondered if Panem would ever be peaceful or if there would always be someone wanting power. He didn't think he could handle much more of the fighting, of the countless wars that had been fought.  
Was he a soldier, a hero, no he was a someone from District 12 who had never stood half a chance. His best friend had been reaped and his anger had overflown, turning him into a monster. He realized later that he never had a chance in this harsh world. He had wanted justice and he should have accepted that it was something most people didn't get. It was a fantasy really, a delusion that children make up so they feel better.  
"How did you do it?" He asked Johanna who was more awake then she had been a few minutes ago "You know deal with the Games?"  
"I had to do what I had to do" she answered "It was me, or them"  
"I know that, but how did you deal with it? With the fact that you killed them" He expected that she would be mad, he had just accused her of being a killer. She looked at him for a moment before smiling a small sad smile. It looked out of place as Johanna Mason was not someone who usually smiled sadly. For a moment he could have mistaken her for someone younger and more innocent.  
"Because I promised Crispin" she said so softly that Gale could barely hear it " He was the last person I saw before I left for my Games and he was crying and he asked me to come home to him, so I did"  
He wrapped an arm around her, thinking that he wasn't the only one who never had a chance.

**Please review**


	19. Chapter 18 Mutts and Memories

Good news, we are not dead... anyone happy about that... sorry about the wait we have not been lazy just busy

Chapter 18 : Mutts and Memories

Written by C

Johanna and Gale continued to travel through the forest. The creek that they had been following was growing in size. It would soon be a river. After about an hour they finally couldn't take the hunger. They simultaniously stopped and decided to find something to eat. Johanna found some plants that she had recognized to be edible and Gale caught some fish. They ate quietly as the sun rose. Johanna's brown eyes looked glassy and her fever hadn't left. She didn't care. She was so hungry and the greens and fish seemed like a feast. Johanna could barely rise to her feet when they were ready to leave.

"Don't say it! I'm fine! I can do it!" She growled before Gale had a chance to protest. He sighed and followed her.

They had walked for about two hours when Johanna stopped suddenly. Gale almost ran into her.

"Johanna! What-"

"Shut up! Listen!" She whispered fiercely.

Johanna there and listened, the forest was silent. The mockingjays had stopped chirping. The squirrels had stopped scurrying, everything was deathly quiet.

"Something's wrong." Gale whispered quietly.

They heard a low growl. Both Johanna and Gales eyes widened.

"Mutts!" Johanna shouted as three gigantic creatures leaped from the bushes.

The two ran for their lives as fast as they could. Hearts pounding and feet flying. They make their way through the twisting paths of the forest. Johanna started falling back and her pace weakened. Sweat dripped down her white terrified face. Her brown spiked hair was plastered to her forehead. She was gasping for breath and frantically trying to catch up with Gale. Johanna's legs finally gave way, she stummbled and fell to the forest floor. She didn't have the strength to get up.

"Go on! Get out of here!" She screamed to Gale .

The blood rushed through Johanna's veins. Her heart pounded. He wouldn't leave her even if she begged him to. No, if she had leaerned anything from this experience it was that Gale wouldn't abandon her after all of this. Gale rushed to Johanna's side and helped her up.

"Don't be an idiot! Go!"

"I'm not leaving you!" He replied his voice overflowing with emotion. A creature that looked like a mountain lion crossed with a wolf snapped at them. Gale dragged Johanna to her feet and half pulled her through the forest. She struggled to run. They felt like trapped rabbits with know place to go. Both scanned the area as they ran trying to find a way out. Johanna saw a thicket. It was full of thorns and impossible for the mutts to get into.

"Over there!" She sceamed hoarsely.

Gale reacted immeadiatly and they ran into the thicket. They were pricked and poked by thorns. The sound of thundering pounces followed them. They had made it. That's when Gale felt the deep sharp pain in his foot. He looked back to see the fierce creature digging its fangs into his shoe. It tore at his flesh, pain shot up his leg. Every nerve in his foot scremed in agony. Gale pulled his foot away franticly, but the creature held on tighter than ever. Johanna saw a faint flash of panic cross Gale's pain stricken face. She pounded the head of the creature as hard as she could with her fists. Gale twisted and turned somehow and somehow escaped it's grasp. They bolted through the thicket. Johanna felt her face stinging as the sharp thorns scratched her flesh. Both had reached the otherside of the thorny grove when they collasped on the ground, gasping for air. Johanna got up, she was dizzy and weak but she knew the mutts would be coming.

"You ok?" Gale said shakily.

"Like a few puppy dogs could faze me," she said with her usual sarcasim but the way she glanced nervously at the thorn bushes said something else.

"Where are they?" Gale said. Johanna stared into the bushes the creatures were tangled in thorns and fighting to escape. The mutts hadn't even made it half way through, that would buy them some time.

"They won't be bothering us anytime soon Gale." She said with a faint smile. Gale got up and limped to the edge of the thicket and smiled at the sight of the tangled creatures. Johanna hated to admitt it but they had outsmarted the mutts, Together.

Rain was pelting from the dark sky that evening. Gale had found a small cave hidden from plain sight. It was a perfect place to hide and recover for the night. Gale's foot was swollen and it seemed much worse then a normal bite. The creature must have been venomnous. Johanna's head throbbed and her arm was inflamed with pain. That's when she saw them.

"Gale! Gale! Look! It's Finnick and Otto!" She screamed, pointing outside.

"Johanna, no one is there." He said gently, his gray eyes illuminated with concern.

"You're wrong! Don't be stupid! They are out in the rain under that tree!" She rushed outside and ran to the tree she had been pointing at. When she returned she looked confused and angry and was soaking wet.

"Johanna, You're tired. Get some rest."

"No! No! I saw them! I need to find them! " She screamed.

"Johanna calm down. It's the fever its getting to you. What you need is rest." Gale said with a worry filled tone.

"I need to go and find them! Look there's Johan! And Fritz!"

"No, Johanna, No! They aren't there! There's no one out there!"

"You're trying to keep me from them aren't you!"

"I would never do that. Johanna your having hallucinations. Just calm down."

"You're the one that's not letting me leave! How could you!" She started going on a hysterical rant when she felt something hard hit her head. Everything went black.

Johanna slowly opened her eyes. She was confused at what had happened. Thats when she saw a pair of concerned blue eyes looking down at her. She smiled, jumped up and hugged him. Then she kissed him. It was a sweet loving kiss. He pushed her away in shock and suprise.

"J-Johanna?"

"Crispin! Crispin! You came back! Crispin, I've missed you so much!" She said a joy filled tone to Gale Hawthorne.

**Please Review**


	20. Chapter 19 Acting As Her Lost Lover

Chapter 19 Acting As Her Lost Lover

Written by A

Gale stared at Johanna in horror, she thought he was her long dead lover. He had never seen her this happy, it was a kind of pure joy that could not be described in words alone. He saw tears of joy on her eyes that he would bet only a few people had ever seen before. His heart broke for her just a little bit as pure joy lit up her face, joy that was very real in a false reality.

"Crispin, what's wrong?" she asked, fear edging in her voice "did I do something wrong?"

She would probably kill him for this later, but he could bring himself to disappoint her. He smiled in what he hoped it looked caring and sweet.  
"No, but you look tired" he said caressing her cheek. She leaned her face into his palm, closing her eyes as if she was craving the touch of his hand "Just rest okay?"

"What about the others?" she whispered. Gale remembered that before thinking he was her long lost love she had thought she had seen her brothers, and Finnick.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure their okay" he said stroking her hair as she closed her eyes "you just rest"

"Tell Finnick that Annie will want to see him" Johanna said sleepily "And tell Otto that I tried as hard as I could to take care of them. Tell Johan I'm sorry for all the things that I said, I didn't mean them"

"Anything you want to tell Fritz?" Gale asked. It seemed unlikely that she didn't want to tell her little brother anything at all.

"Tell him that as soon as I get up I'm going to kick his butt for telling the whole district that we were making out under the old willow" She opened her eyes and gave him a shy smile "on second thought if we tell him that he'll just run, don't tell him anything."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Gale couldn't help but laugh. He wished that he could see this side of Johanna when she knew who she was talking to. After several moments he came to the sobering realization that she thought everyone she loved was still alive and happy. That they weren't killed without mercy because somebody wanted to hurt her. He wondered how it would feel if Rory, Vick, or little Posy was killed over something that he refused. He would never be able to forgive himself, much like he would never be able to forgive himself for designing that bomb, destroying the Nut, or letting his anger take control of him.

"Why did you leave?" Johanna asked timidly, looking at him with teary eyes. What could he tell her? That he had been dead for the last several years and she was only seeing him now because she was sick?

"I had to, I'm sorry" he felt tears welling up in his eyes for her "I am so sorry, I didn't want to"

"Don't leave me again" she pleaded "please Crispin, don't leave"

"If I do, I'll take you with me" Gale promised " just get some sleep" to his surprise she buried her face into his shoulder, shaking her head. Her hot tears seeped through his shirt, wetting his shoulder. Her whole body was shaking as if she were in a freezing room "Johanna?"

"I can't go to sleep" she sobbed "every time, I have nightmares and I see it all again. Everything, I see the blood of people I killed, I'm watching Otto being killed again, and I'm seeing your body just laying there."

He stroked her hair as she continued to sob, this was a forgen feeling to him. He was used to comforting children, not women. His mother was perhaps the toughest person in Panem and Katniss was never the emotional type. Nether was Johanna for that matter, but she was sobbing into his shoulder, scared to sleep for fear of nightmares. He hesitated for a moment before he asked "Do you want to talk about it?"

"The most vivid one" she said softly "was the last time I saw you, the summer I turned sixteen. It was only weeks after Johan had died and I wanted to give into Snow. You kept telling me that i wouldn't lose you, and that we would be safe. It was raining and we were standing under that canopy of trees in the woods, remember that, it was our place? Despite everything that had happened, I remember smiling more that day then I had in a long time. It was like happiness somehow still existed because for a day it was all perfect because you were mine. For the first time in since I lost Otto, I didn't have a care in the world and I could forget everything. You kissed me and promised me that you would give me everything I could ever want, but all I wanted was you. You walked me back home, not caring if we got wet, because it was a warm summer rain. I can still hear you saying that you love me and that I would see you soon. I watched you walk away from me taking my heart with you, and the next time I found you-"

She broke off sobbing, Gale comforted her as best he could. He whispered to her that it was all over now because for all he knew it would be. They could die right here and few people would even know that they are still alive enough to be killed "I was yours" he said in a weak attempt to comfort her.

"I am yours, always will be" she whispered, he did not miss the present tense that she used. Johanna eventually fell asleep, arms still tight around his body and face still buried in his shoulder. What a pair they were, a lonely hunter and a heartbroken victor. They had more in common then Gale had originally realized. She was going to kill him whenever she would come to her sense, but for now he was going to hold her for as long as she needed.  
Just as he had wished someone would do for him.

**YES! we are still alive (Just really busy) Review will be loved**


	21. Chapter 20 Unexpected News

Chapter 20 Unexpected News

Written by C

Katniss took a deep breath before she left the train. She glanced back at Peeta, she saw a deep pain in his blue eyes. The whole way to the capitol he had been struggleing with his mutt side. Haymitch looked undisturbed by it and somewhat annoyed.

"We don't have all day, sweetheart." He said in a sartastic tone.

"Oh shut up Haymitch." She gave Peeta one last soft glance and then faced the capitol before her. She stepped onto the platform outside and started heading towards the presidents' mansion.

"You go with Katniss, please Haymitch, keep her safe. I-I think I might stay behind." Peeta said this in a shaking voice.

Haymitch gave him an unconcerned glance, " Stop being a drama queen Peeta." Then he pulled him out of the train with him.

They only had a few blocks to walk before they would reach President Paylor's residence but unfortunatly this was in the area that the victors' most bitter memories of the captitol had taken place. Things became worse as they walked closer to the mansion, it had been Snow's mansion before the new government took over but that didn't change Katniss's hatred for it. When the courtyard came into sight Katniss started hyperventilating and Peeta was on the verge of having a mental break down. The memories had been too much for the pair.

"Come on you two pull it together!" Haymitch growled.

"Prim! I-I lost her here!" Katniss said fighting back tear filled eyes.

"It's ok Katniss." Peeta said trying to comfort her, but his own blue eyes were wide with terror. He was barely keeping it together.

"Peeta I failed her!"

Haymitch ended up taking them to Effie's house. He knocked on her door with a look of total boredom on his face. When Effie opened it she jumped in suprise. There was Haymitch standing like nothing was happening. On his left and right were Peeta and Katniss; they both looked like they were about to lose it.

"Hi Effie," Haymitch said.

"Haymitch what are you doing here? And what's wrong with Katniss and Peeta?"

"Oh they wanted to visit the capitol, it wasn't my idea it was theirs for the record but if you dont want Peeta to go mutt and destroy your front porch I think it might be a good idea to take them inside."

"O-Ok" Effie was very unsure of all of this.

She let all three on them inside it was like they entered into a world of neon pinks and oranges. The capitol might have changed but not Effie. Peeta sat down nervously and dug his fists into a plush pillow. Katniss immediatly felt better mostly because she was inside instead of out on the streets. Her breathing slowed down and her head stop pounding. She looked over to Peeta he was staring into the bright fuzzy carpet calmly. Effie and Haymitch were bantering in what was a typical conversation for them when it occured to Effie that it wasn't normal for them to be in the capitol.

"Haymitch why are all of you here?"

Katniss's eyes narrowed she answered in a cold hollow voice, "Gale! We're here to find out who killed him and why."

The room was quiet.

"Let's go, I'm ready to get answers, if Paylor likes it or not she's telling me all that happened." Katniss got up with a new firm resolve. The thought of Gale being killed in that train accident gave her the strength she needed to overcome her sorrow. She left without another word.

"But I want to stay here with Effie." Haymitch wined.

"Come on Haymitch, she's going to need us." Peeta dragged Haymitch along this time. The group headed to the President's Mansion but this time no one spoke a word.

Paylor smiled when she saw Katniss enter the office. Haymitch and Peeta and decided it was best to let Katniss handle this alone.

"It's nice to see the Mockingjay back in action." She said in a slightly friendly tone.

"I need to know what happened to Gale!"

"I knew that you would be here. Aren't you wondering what happened to your mother?"

"My mother?!" Katniss replied in shock.

"The hospital she was working in was attacked, just like the train Gale was on. Katniss you need to take Peeta and Haymitch and get back to district twelve. Someone is targeting every surviving victor and their families and you three are next."

Katniss was silent. She was not expecting this.

"But Gale wasn't a victor."

"Johanna was and she was on the same train." Paylor answered in her matter of fact tone.

"Who is doing this?"

"We're trying to figure that out, but whoever it is is a genius. We can't track them."

"So your expecting me to go back to district twelve and sit there and do nothing?!"

"No I want you to go back to District Twelve and stay out of the way."

"I'm not going to do that."

"You have no other choice."

"That's not true! Where's my mother?!"

"Here in the capitol at our hospital."

"Take me to her."

In the next room was her mother. She had not seen her in over a year. Katniss paused and swallowed hard before she walked into the room. Peeta took her hand and squeezed it. He looked into her eyes with a look that said, "It will be ok." Katniss and Peeta walked in together. Her mother had lost her memory of that day that is what the doctors had told them. When she saw her daughter's face the frail woman seemed shocked and excited look crossed her face.

"Katniss," he said weakly, "He's alive, I saw him before they attacked. Gale is alive."

**Please Review**


	22. Chapter 21 The Painful Truth

**OK so we know it has been forever since we updated but real life happens when we don't want it to and i takes over our lives and since we co-write this it suffers the most :( . Updates may be few and far in between but we have no intention of leaving it unfinished**

**That being said...enjoy**

Chapter 21 The Painful Truth

Written by A

Gale felt a warm body press closer to him, Johanna was hugging him in her sleep. If the situation they were in wasn't so serious he would have laughed, Johanna Mason; victor, hero of war, snuggler. He grinned down at her before the memories from the night before came back. How long would she be like this? Would she wake up as her normal self and demand why her was holding her as her loved one? Or would she still be in her sickness induced fantasy and expecting her family and friend to be here? Before he could figure out what he would do, she stirred, looked up at him with a sleepy smile "Hey" she mumbled quietly.  
"Hey, yourself" he smiled back, unwilling to destroy her fantasy just yet "how are you feeling"

Johanna moaned and turned her face back into his shoulder "Sleepy" she replied.

"I can tell" he said chuckling "come on we need to keep moving". He stood for a second before his leg gave into a sudden sharp pain, he had forgotten about the wound he had suffered from the mutt pack. He clasped next to Johanna and pulled his pant leg up the examine the wound, It was extremely swollen so bad that he was surprised that he had not felt it before. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, turning to see Johanna with wide, brown eyes. He felt her hand gently lower him onto his back before he blacked out.

_"Crispin, Crispin!" a voice called into his numbed mind, he ignored it, they were not calling him, that was not his name. He felt himself falling deeper and deeper into his own sanctuary, it was calm here, too calm. Soon the cloudy surrounding became clear, he saw a million memories of his younger self: hunting in the woods with his dad, losing his dad, meeting Catnip, the slag heap, trading at the Hob, the reaping, Catnip in the Hunger Games, the rebellion, bombs falling on children...  
"NO!" his mind screamed "Not again!_

_But they were gone, with them was a little, blonde haired girl that he had promised to protect. The memories didn't stop, but became more detailed and personal: his father's laugh, Posy's giggles, the sun shining through the trees, Catnip singing "The Hanging Tree". He did not only see these memories but felt them, every emotion that he felt when he first saw them until now he felt. But none so strong as the one when he was on the rescue mission to the Capitol. Personally he had rescued a young woman who had seen and felt far too much pain in her life. Bruises covered her body and the short, spiky hair that she had was gone, as he picked up her too light body she mumbled "Can't let go"_

_'Can't let go' he thought to himself 'why?' _

He work to pain coursing though his leg, feeling a light, gentle pressure on it. He opened his eyes to see the same woman that he had seen in his dream was gently dressing a wound on his leg. She smiled when she noticed that he was awake and gently brushed her lips against his forehead in a soft kiss. A kiss that brought him back to reality, he was Gale Hawthorne, she was Johanna Mason, and she was in love with a dead man. A men that her fever-induced fantasy was telling her was right in front of her instead of Gale.

"What happened?" he questioned

"You passed out" Johanna answered "I cleaned the wound on your leg, but you wouldn't wake up" she had tears running down her face now. Gale reached to wipe them off her face and she leaned into his touch "I was scared you wouldn't wake up"

"Hey, I'm right here" Gale said as he pulled her down beside him. After several minutes of her crying into his shirt, she pulled away and asked "How did you hurt your leg anyway?"

"The Mutts" he answered, seeing no reason to lie to her.

"Yeah they got Gale pretty good too" she said, confusion crossing her face "Do you know what happened to him?"

"I... Um.." Gale stuttered, trying to find something to say.

"We should probably look for him" Johanna said "he was by far the least annoying guy from District 12"

"Really?" said Gale in surprise

"It's not saying much" she said "Mellark asked to exchange bread recipes when we were in the arena"

Gale started laughing, the muscles in his face protested as it had been so long since he had truly laughed. Johanna looked at him oddly for several moments before joining him in laughter. For the first time he thought that she was attractive, her trademark smirk was replaced with a genuine smile and she had a spark in her eyes. Not the destructive spark that he had once,a mischievous spark that suggested that she had something up her sleeve. In a life that she had not been burdened with the hardship she had, she might have been pretty, maybe even beautiful.

"The idiot didn't get it" Johanna said, finally calming down " we were gonna die but he still wanted me to remember how to make bread"

"Any stories about Haymitch" Gale asked grinning

"Let's see" said Johanna, pretending to think "There was the time that me and Finnick broke into his room and stole his whiskey"

Gale's grin widened "lets here it"

"It was two years after I won" Johanna smiled at the memory "Finnick tried to talk me into trying whiskey, but I refused. He was being annoying so I dared him that it we snuck into Haymitch's floor of the Training Center and stole his whiskey I would try it. So Finnick, idiot that he was, dragged me with him and we kind of trashed the place"

"Kind of?" Gale asked amused  
Well, to be fair Haymitch trashed it looking for the alcohol. Once we were there we took it all to watch him panic, somehow he found out it was us and called Mags to tell on us"

"Was she mad?"

"Well how was I suppost to know the old lady wanted some!"

Gale laughed "sounds like a good time"

"It was" she smiled "Oh Crispin, you should have been there"

Gales heart sank, he had forgotten that she was not talking to him, but to Crispin. She was not opening up to him and telling him stories, she was still sick. He was shocked by how disappointed this made him. To hide this disappointment, he stood carefully on his bad leg and said "We better get moving , they can't be too far behind us"

"Crispin?" Johanna asked hours later when they were trying to sleep huddled together to stay warm.

"Yeah" Gale answered,

"You're not really here are you?"

Gale looked at her tears running down her face before answering "No"

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